Cover-fastening clasp



July 29, 1924. A 1,503,288

A. R. POOLE COVER FASTENING CLASP Filed Nov. 15 1923 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented duly 29, 1924.

AMOS R. POOLE, 0F NEW YORK, N.

Y.,AssIGNon To WILLIAM a. cHArrELL, or NEW YORK, 1v. Y.

COVER-FASTENING' CLASP.

Y Application iled November 15,1923.` Serial No. 674,993.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, AMos R. POOLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cover-Fastening Clasps, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact descript-ion.

This invention relates to clasps particularly intended to fasten in place bedclothing, carriage blankets, or other covering which may be put over infants, invalids, or others who might be unable to replace it if not fastened.

The main objects of the invention are to provide a clasp of simple construction, which will be equally eiiicient in holding one or several blankets, which is easy to apply and remove, which will firmly grip the article to be held, which is unbreakable and long wearing, and which can be manufactured at a low cost.

In the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation or plan view of a clasp; a blanket held thereby and a strap to attach the clasp to some fixed object, being shown in dotted lines; and

Fig. 2 is a view at right angles to Fig.

V1, showing in full lines the clasp in closed position, while its position just before being snapped shut is indicated in dotted lines.

The clasp consists of a body member and a toggle joint member, including a spring link secured thereon. A relatively stiff wire or rod 3 forms the body of the clasp, being bent midway its length to form the jaw portion 4, the two Vparts then coming to.- gether in the shank portion 5. At the upper end of the shank portion the opposite sides of the body wireY are bent apart to provide the bearing shoulders 6 which are preferably in alignment. The two ends are then brought together either in the lap joint 7 shown, or merely in two portions which need only come near enough together to retain a strap 8 or other means for securing the body to some fixed portion of the bed, vehicle, or other object to which the cover is to be secured. The body 3 is curved as a whole into the more or less arcuate shape shown in Fig. 2, so that the jaw portion 4 is upturned to accommodate the; edge of the blanket or other material to be clasped.

The toggle joint member of the clasp con` sists of the rigid plate 9 and the spring link 10. Plate 9 is pivoted to the bearing shoulders 6 of the body member, integral ears 11 being curled around the wire to insure a permanent joint. Similar ears 12 at the opposite free end of the plate are curled over to provide bearings for Vthe ends of spring link 10. Thesuccess ofthe clasp depends to a great extent on the construction of this spring link. It must be stiff enough so that when one blanket has been drawn between the end of the link and the upturned jaw of the body of the clasp, and` the plate has been snapped down to the closed position, the pressure betweenK the jaws will prevent accidental dislodgement of the blanket. On the other hand, this link must be springy enough to permitv several blankets to be gripped betweenV the jaws, and the toggleL joint to be then snapped shut by as light a pressure of the thumb on the plate 9 of the toggle as possible. These requirements are met in the present invention by forming a spring wire into a' jaw or loop portion 13 at its midpoint, the opposite sides then being reversely bent into the oppositely disposed spring bows 14, the ends of the wire then entering the bearing ears 12 in the toggle plate 9. Thecombined effect of the spring bows and a slight camber given the link provides just the necessary resilience.

There being only three pieces in the whole clasp, it is simple and cheap to manufacture, and as the only wear comes on the long bearing ears of the plate, obviously the clasp will have a long useful life, especially as there is nothing to break.

Having described the invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a clasp for blankets and the like, the^combination with a one-piece, stiff wire body having an upturned aw portion at one end and a fastener retaining loop at its other end, said loop having aligned bearing shoulders, of a toggle joint comprising a plate pivoted to said bearing shoulders -and a spring link pivoted to the plate and including a jaw portion Ycooperatingrwitli the jaw portion of the said body and reversely bowed spring portions between Vthe jaw and the plate. f I

2. In a clasp for blankets and the like, the combination with a relatively stiff wireY body member having closed loop portions at its opposite ends, one of said loops being adapted to receive the object to be clasped and the other loop beingA adapted to retain a fastener such as a strap, of a toggle YVjoint comprising a plate pivoted to opposite portions of said fastening loop and a spring member pivoted to the free end of the plate, the free end of said spring member terminatingin a loop portion arranged to hold the article to be clasped against the loop on the body member, and said spring member having oppositely disposed reversely bowed spring portions between its loop portion and its pivoted end, whereby articles of different thickness may be irmly clasped.

Signed at New York city, New York this 13thr day of November, 1923.

AMos R, PooLje. 

